Feed-regulating mechanism



Jana 1925- 1523,54

J. CRITES FEED REGULATING MECHANISM Filed June 25. 1923 Patented Jan. 2c, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOE CRITES, OF LAKESIDE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO RAYMOND BROTHERS IMPACT PUL- VERIZER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

,FEED-REGULATING MECHANISM.

epplication filed June a, 1923. Serial 160.647,?35. a

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, Jon Cm'rEs, a citizen of the United States, residi at Lakeside, in the county of Ottawa and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Regulating Mechanisms, of which the following is a specificatio My invention relates to an automatic feed regulating mechanism intended particularly for grinding or pulverizing mills of the type utilizing an air lift for separating the material which has been reduced to a sufficiently fine state of pulverization from the material in the mill.requiringfurther reduction and discharging the finely pulverized material from the pulverizing chamber. If a millof this type becomes overloaded, due to 'the fact that the quantity of material fed into the pulverizing chamber is in excess of the ground material discharged therefrom, the vacuum in the chamber above the material will become intensified because of the increased resistance which the material offers to. the inflow of air, the air induction openings being arranged below'the region in which the material is ground. It has been customary to place a vacuum indicator on the separator of the mill or on the pipe leading therefrom, and to regulate the introduction of material in accordance with said indicator.

The ob'ect of my invention is to provide novel an improved means for accomplishing this regulation. of the feed auto matically in acordance with the fluctuations of pressure in the mill so that an overload on the mill brings about a temporary cessation or diminution of the feed.

' lhe invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment, in the accompanyin drawing which shows in side elevation, wit parts in section, a mill of the type indicated equipped with a feed regulator constructed in accordance with my invention. v

Referring to the drawing 10 designates thecasing of a mill of the ltaymond type. 11 is the bull ring against which bear. through centrifugal force, rollers supported on pendant journals, one of the rollers being indicated at12 and its journal at 13. Air enters the pulverizing chamber 14 through tangential air openings 15 below the rollers 12. The upper part 16 of the ,mill may be considered as" a separator,

The material to-be pulverized is fed'into the pulverizing 'chamber through a feed chute 21 terminating in a cylindrical casing 22 in which is arranged a rotary pocket feeder 23. The shaft 24 of the feeder has fixed thereto a ratchet wheel 25 and has loose thereon a pawl arm 26 to which is pivoted at 27 a pawl 28 adapted to. engage the teeth of ratchet 25. 29 is a driving shaft supported on a bracket '30 and provided wit-h a crank 31 connected by rod 32 with the articulation at 27 between the arm 26 and pawl 28. Shaft 29 may be driven in any suitable manner, for example, by pulley33 and belt 34. The pawl and ratchet mechanism operates to rotate the feeder in the direction indicated by the arrow feeding. fixed quantities of material into the pulverizing chamber at definite intervals.

The automatic regulator for the feeding mechanism is preferably constructed as follows: 35 is a diaphragm extending across a casing 36 secured to the mill at one side thereof. The portion of casing 36 above diaphragm 35 is in communication with the interior of the mill casing through pipe 37 The portion of the casing 36 below the diaphragm 35 is open to the atmosphere as, for example, through opening 38. 39 is a rod secured to diaphragm 35. A chain 40 connects rod 39 with the pawl 28. A spring 41 is interposed between the bottom of casing 36 and a collar 42 on rod 38 and the rod is also providedwith a series of removable weights 43.

When the vacuum in the separator of the mill has fallen belownormal sufiiciently to overcomethe force exerted by spring 41 and weights 43 the diaphragm 25 will be flexed upwardly to raise the pawl out of contact with the teeth of ratchet 25; or the arrangement may be such that the diaphragm operates to raise the pawl only to the extent that it will skip a tooth on the ratchet at each operative throw in which latter case the feed to the mill will be diminished instead of being cut off. By

increasing or diminishing the number of the weights 43 the device may be operated to bring about either one or the other of the above mentioned effects; that is, it may bring about a quick cessation of the feed until normal pressure is restored, or a diminution in. the amount of material introduced. The effect of the spring and of the weights is also to bring about the cessation or diminution of the feed only after the pressure has fallen to a determinable point below normal pressure. This is desirable in order that the regulating apparatus should not be subject to slight fluctuations of pressure below normal.

I claim:

1. In combination with pulverizing apparatus comprising a pulverizing chamber having an ear induction opening below the region in which the material is pulverized, means for exhausting the air from said chamber, a rotary feeder for introducing material into the chamber, a ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating the feeder, a flexible diaphragm with which said pawl is connected that is subject to pressure fluctuations in said pulverizing chamber" for moving the pawl from'said ratchet, and retarding means which operates to prevent the disengagement of the pawl until a predetermined pressure I below normal pressure has been reached in the pulverizing chamber.

2. In combination with pulverizing apparatus comprising a pulverizing chamber having an air induction opening below the region in which the material is pulverized.

means for exhausting the air from said chamber, a rotary feeder for introducin material into the chamber, a ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating the feeder, a flexible diaphragm with which said pawl is connected that is subject to pressure uctuations in said pulverizing chamber for moving the pawl from said ratchet, and adjustable retarding means which operates to prevent the disengagement of the pawl until a predetermined pressure below normal pressure has been reached in the pulverizing chamber.

3. In combination with pulverizing apparatus comprising a pulverizing chamber having an air induction 0 ening below the region in which the material is pulverized, means for. exhausting the air from said chamber, means for feeding material into the chamber, and adjustable means actuated when the pressure in .the chamber is reduced to a pointbelow normal for either bringing about a cessation of the feed into the mill or diminishing the same according to the adjustment of said means.

4. In combination with pulverizing apparatus comprising a pulverizing chamber having an air induction opening below the region in which the material is pulverized, means for exhausting the air from said chamber, means for feeding material into the chamber, and means actuated when the pressure in the chamber is reduced to a point below normal for stopping the feed entirely or diminishing the amount of ma terial fed into the mill according to the degree of pressure reduction. I

5. In combination with pulverizing apparatus comprising a pulverizing chamber from which the air is exhausted, a rotary feeder for introducing material into the chamber, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for rotating the feeder, a closed casing comprising a flexible diaphragm forming the lower side thereof, a pipe forming a communication between the pulverizing chamber'and the interior of the casing, and an inextensible member directly suspended at one end from the diaphragm and connected at the other end to the pawl, whereby movements of the diaphragm in response to pressure changes in the chamber are transmitted to move the pawl into or out of engagement with the ratchet.

6. In combination with pulverizing apparatus comprisin a pulverizing chamber from which the air is exhausted, a rotary feeder for introducing material into the chamber, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for rotating the feeder, a closed casing comprising a. flexible diaphragm forming the lower side thereof, apipe forming a communication between the pulverizing chamber and the interior of thecasing, and an inextensible member directly suspended at one end from the diaphragm and connected at the other end to the pawl, whereby movements 'of the diaphragm in response to pressure changesin the chamber are transmitted to move the pawl into or out of engagement with the ratchet, and adjustable weights carried by the connecting member for offering a variable resistance to the movements of the diaphragm.

7. In combination with a pulverizing mill, exhausting apparatus for removing the pulverized material therefrom, a feeder, mechanism responsive to fluctuations in ressure in the mill for controlling the fee er, and means for adjusting said mechanism for actuation at different pressures in the mill.

JoE CRITES. 

